


What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

by seibelsays



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, New Year's Eve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 22:14:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17252357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seibelsays/pseuds/seibelsays
Summary: “That whiskey best be as good as you’re making it look, Sarge, or I’m gonna be mighty disappointed.”





	What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Bucky drummed his fingers against the bar, staring into his glass, considering the whiskey he swirled there. The fragrant notes of oak hit his nose as the caramel liquid swirled around the crystal clear square of perfect ice at the bottom of his glass. The alcohol might not do anything for him anymore, but the smell never failed to remind him of simpler days long past - of the person he’d once been and was trying to be again.

He took a sip and felt the cool liquid burn a trail of fire down his esophagus. He closed his eyes to savor the sensation.

“That whiskey best be as good as you’re making it look, Sarge, or I’m gonna be mighty disappointed.”

His eyes flew open to find Darcy Lewis smirking in front of him. She leaned back, both elbows propped up against the bar, the red and gold twinkle lights along the bar making patterns in her curls and giving her a bit of a halo. 

“Not all of us can claim super metabolism, so we mere mortals have to have a little self-control. If I order one of those as my drink for the night, am I going to regret it?” 

He considered her for a moment, savoring the taste of whiskey that clung to his lip, before sliding the glass slowly across the bar towards her.

“You tell me.”

Her teasing smirk softened into a fond grin as she turned to claim the glass. Her eyes flicked down to watch the ice as she swirled the drink and took a tentative sniff. He watched, transfixed, as she raised the glass and took a small sip. Her eyes fluttered closed as she considered the drink. She lightly licked her red-painted lips, then opened her eyes and slid the glass back to him. 

“I would definitely regret that.”

He laughed and her eyes lit up. She turned to the bemused bartender, who’d been silently watching their entire exchange. 

“Smoked old fashioned, please.”

The bartender nodded then busied herself making Darcy’s drink. Bucky watched, fascinated, at the complicated steps involved. He could feel Darcy’s eyes on him and he wasn’t entirely sure what to do with that. While he was happy to be the subject of her attention, such close scrutiny made him nervous in ways it never would have before...well, just before.

“So,” Darcy said, accepting her drink from the bartender with a thankful smile, “does your appearance here tonight mean I won’t be seeing you at Stark’s New Year’s Eve bash?”

“What makes you say that?” 

She gave him a look that said _cut the bullshit_ and he grinned.

“I don’t know,” he conceded. “See how the day goes, I guess.”

Darcy kept her eyes locked on his as she took a sip of her drink. “Does the knowledge that this is my second-choice dress change that at all?” she asked, pointing to herself. “I’m saving my first choice for New Year’s Eve.”

He swirled the tiny bit of remaining whiskey in his glass, watching as the alcohol quickly melted the ice and created a swirling pattern. “Got a hot date or somethin’?” he mumbled as he tossed back the last of the whiskey and motioned to the bartender for another.

“Not yet.”

He froze briefly, processing that thought.

“Now he gets it,” Darcy teased.

He accepted the drink from the bartender with a nod and took a sip before turning back to Darcy. He chewed on his lip for a moment before breaking into what he was pretty sure was his most charming smile. He’d been working on it. 

“So Darcy. What are you doin’ New Year’s Eve?”

“I dunno, Sarge, what am I doing New Year’s Eve?” Her smile was dangerous and inviting and if he were braver he’d kiss her right then and there.

He took a deep breath. “I’ve got an invite to a party and I hear you’ve got a knockout dress. Want to be my plus one?”

“Will you kiss me at midnight?”

“If all goes well, I might kiss you before and after midnight, too.”

“Promises, promises.” Her teasing grin was back. “You’ve got yourself a date.”

***

“No.”

“Buck, come on - it’s a quick one. Retrieval only, in and out. Two hours, tops.”

Bucky unlocked his door and Steve followed him inside. “You say that now. Do I need to remind you about the Philadelphia Easter Debacle of 2016?”

Steve sighed. “One time,” he muttered.

Bucky rolled his eyes as he dug through his refrigerator for the purple sport drink he’d hidden in there. He had to hide the purple ones, or they would mysteriously disappear within minutes of their arrival in the kitchen just off the gym. “You don’t need me for this - hell, they don’t need _you_ for this. Send a baby agent to do it if it’s so simple.”

Steve narrowed his eyes. “Last year you were begging to be sent on a mission on New Year’s Eve.”

He closed the refrigerator and leaned against it, cracking open the drink. “Last year, I didn’t have plans.”

Steve blinked. “You have a date? For New Year’s Eve?” His face split into an enormous grin. “That’s great!”

Bucky nodded. “And that’s why I’m not going with you.”

“Buck…”

Oh hell. It was the kicked puppy look. The look that had been dragging Bucky into trouble since 1930.

He sighed. “Two hours?”

Steve grinned. “Two hours. In and out. You’ll be back to get ready with time to spare.”

***

“I hate you.”

If Steve had a reply, the explosion overhead drowned it out.

Bucky jammed a new clip into his gun and fired in the direction the most recent gunshots had come from, giving Steve cover as they fought their way back towards the jet.

“Intel might have understated things,” Steve admitted.

***

Bucky shook his head in disgust as the jet landed back in New York. He was tired, hungry, sore, and covered in a lot of things he didn’t want to think about. He wanted a shower, a sandwich, and his bed. Not necessarily in that order.

But mostly he wanted a time machine so he could go back seven hours and tell Steve to shove his “quick, in and out retrieval mission” up his ass, because it was 12:05 and he’d completely missed his date with Darcy. He stared miserably at his phone, which had been shattered by a bullet at one point or another. He could only hope that someone clued Darcy in and that she didn’t think he’d stood her up.

Even if they had, it was unlikely she’d ever agree to a date with him again - Darcy Lewis did not suffer fools. Bucky Barnes was the biggest fool he’d ever heard of.

“I’m sorry, Buck,” Steve said quietly, gently slapping a hand on his shoulder. 

He shrugged him off. “It’s fine. She...it wouldn’t have worked out anyway.”

Steve looked like he wanted to say more, but held his tongue and looked at his own destroyed phone.

“At least we avoided the press line this year, right?” Bucky said, trying desperately not to sound as despondent as he felt.

“God,” Steve muttered. “Why does every party Tony ever throw have to have a line of reporters and photographers screaming at us?”

“No soggy, bland food. No uncomfortable shoes. No crowds.” Bucky counted off all the reasons he’d originally been planning on avoiding Stark’s party before Darcy mentioned she wanted to go.

“No monkey suit,” Steve agreed.

Bucky swallowed hard. He’d rented a navy blue tux for the night. He’d actually been looking forward to wearing it - it fit him well, and Darcy had hinted that her dress would match. It was a sight he’d imagined plenty over the last few days. Her on his arm, maybe a dance or two, a kiss at midnight to ring in the new year. It was just a dream now. He’d had his chance and he’d blown it.

There was a hiss of air that indicated the jet’s landing procedure was complete and they could disembark. They gathered their gear and left the jet in silence.

***

Bucky slowly unlocked his door and dropped his gear in a pile just inside. He’d deal with it in the morning - right now, he just wanted to forget this night had ever happened.

He trudged into the kitchen, trying to remember if he had any leftovers that he could heat up without too much effort. He paused in front of the refrigerator, blinking at a note taped to the outside.

_Confirmed. Stark’s parties are only fun when you’re there._

_You owe me a date, Sarge. Find me in the new year._

Darcy signed the note only with a lipstick kiss.

He raised his hand and fingered the edges of the note, then ghosted his fingertips over her writing. A tiny smile pulled at his lips. He glanced out his window and up towards hers. A light was still on.

Before he could talk himself out of it, he bolted for the door and ran up the stairs. Moments later, he was standing in front of her door. He knocked, three short taps - loud enough to hear, not loud enough to wake her if she’d fallen asleep with the lights on.

The door flew open, revealing a pajama-clad Darcy, her hair bundled into a messy bun on her head and her feet clad in fuzzy slippers. She was the best damn thing he’d seen all day. She resisted grinning, and tried to school her features into blank indifference. She failed spectacularly and his chest ached at the sight.

“You’re late. You have a doctor’s note?”

He shook his head. “‘Fraid all those notes are classified.”

“Saving the world again, huh?”

“Something like that.”

Darcy hummed and gave him her best unimpressed look.

“So I can give you one out of the three kisses I promised you. It’ll be about 365 days before I can get you the rest.”

“Oh that’s a big risk. How do I know those other kisses are worth the wait?”

He hesitated. “Take a chance?”

“A chance that you’ll be around in a year to make good?”

“Yeah.”

She bit her lip. “I’ll take that bet.” She stepped forward, grabbed the edge of his tac vest, pulled him to her, and pressed her lips to his.

He grasped her waist and pulled her flush against him, deepening the kiss. After a few moments, she pulled away, breathless.

“That’s the after midnight kiss. You sure I have to wait a whole year for the before midnight and at midnight kisses?”

“I can promise you a hell of a lot more in between.”

“Deal.” She pulled him in for another kiss, then broke away a moment later. “You still owe me a date!”

“Date, yes. All the dates. Done.”

“And you only get so many passes for bailing to save the world, you know. Girl’s gotta have standards and all.”

He laughed. “I can work on that.”

“Happy New Year, Bucky,” she murmured, rubbing circles into his back.

“So far, it’s the best one yet.”

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year everyone!


End file.
